


RWBY: The Young Swallow and the Old Crow

by Chinsangan



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-07-16 13:37:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7270444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chinsangan/pseuds/Chinsangan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Qrow Branwen has faced many challenges during his career as a Huntsman. But today he has to do something he hasn't done for years... babysit. (Platonic Qrow x Reader)</p>
            </blockquote>





	RWBY: The Young Swallow and the Old Crow

#  ** The Young Swallow and the Old Crow **

 

Qrow Branwen has gone on many a mission through his years as a Huntsman. He’s battled the scum of the underworld, gone up against the vile Grimm, and yet somehow always came out of it victorious, if a tad drunk. But today was something different. Today he was called not as a Huntsman, but as an uncle. Little did the Huntsman know that today would be one of his hardest missions he’ll ever tackle.

 

He saunters into the small house in Patch, slightly tipsy from the amount of alcohol he drank on the way here. It’s a relaxer after the small hoard of Beowolves he had to take out while getting here. He really did Patch a service, and drinking was his reward. He marches through the door and looks around. It’s as it always is – a couple chairs surrounding a table, the average kitchen appliances, and a cup of tea that Tai always loves to make. He can hear Tai in another room talking to someone. Qrow brushes it off, as it could be Yang or Ruby. Seconds later he was proved wrong.

 

**THUD**

…

 

…

 

…

 

**CRASH**

Qrow bounces a bit at the sudden noise, not expecting it. As his curiosity gets the better of him, he decides to take a look at what’s going on.

 

“Hey, come on now! You made a- no! Get back here!” Tai pleads, his voice in strain.

Qrow chuckles at noise he’s hearing. He can only imagine what Tai could be up to. Finally, after reaching Ruby’s room, Qrow sees what’s happened. The bookshelf that held books and figurines of Grimm has toppled over on the floor, the beds are both completely taken apart with pillows everywhere, and Tai is chasing around what appears to be a young child.

 

Qrow leans on the door frame and crosses his arms, deciding to simply take in what he’s seeing before aiding Tai in any way. Because Tai is so focused on catching this child, he doesn’t notice Qrow at the door. The young kid hops over the bed, throwing the blanket up for Tai to run into. They laugh as Tai gets caught in the blanket and tumbles over the bed. The kid starts running to the door, attempting to avoid Qrow. Qrow sticks one foot out and trips the child, making them fall flat on their face.

 

Qrow leans over and picks the child up by their foot, letting them dangle upside down.

“Well, what do we have here?” Qrow asks in his gruff voice.

Tai frees himself from the blanket and sees Qrow.

“Oh, you caught them. I was worried they might get out of the house,” he admits, brushing himself off.

“You’ve had two kids, Tai. Can you not handle this little pip-squeak? Who is this kid, anyway?”

 

The young child struggles to the best of their abilities, but Qrow’s soft yet iron grip makes it impossible for them to escape. They attempt to throw a few jabs at Qrow’s stomach, but they have no effect on the seasoned fighter.

 

“Found them while I was on the outskirts of Patch,” Tai begins to explain, lifting the bookshelf and sighing at the mess he’ll have to clean up. “They were just wandering around on their own, crying.”

“And you couldn’t just leave them be, huh?” Qrow assumes, a smirk plastered on his face.

“Would you?” Tai redirects.

Qrow shrugs.

“I guess not. So,” Qrow lightly tosses the kid onto Ruby’s bed. “What did you call me here for?”

 

Tai chuckles and rubs the back of his head.

“Well, I have a mission to go on, so I was hoping… you could maybe look after’em while I’m gone?” He sheepishly requests.

Qrow lifts his hand and extends one finger. He takes out his flask and drinks some more, still telling Tai to wait. Once he’s done he puts it away and lowers his hand.

“Can you repeat that? I don’t think I heard you properly. You want me to babysit?”

 

The child waits for this moment then darts off the bed and towards the door. Qrow raises his foot once again and holds it at the child’s stomach, blocking them from passing. Qrow, however, isn’t even paying attention to the kid.

 

“Yeah. Ruby and Yang are on a mission, so they can’t take the weekend off to come here, and Ozpin… well he’s not the babysitting type,” Tai says.

“And I am?” Qrow questions, his voice getting a little louder. “Tai, I’m not just running around looking at bartenders’ skirts, you know. I’m doing missions for Ozpin, I can’t just drop all that for some kid,” Qrow complains.

 

He flicks his foot towards the bed, sending the child hurling against the soft mattress.

“Ooph.” They rub their back then stare at Qrow as menacingly as they can, growling.

“Qrow, please. You aren’t my first option but right now you’re my only one. It’ll be for a day, two tops.”

Qrow moans then turns his red eyes towards the child. They can’t be more than seven years old. The thought of ‘why were they just left in the woods’ floats in his mind, but that doesn’t really bother him all that much right now.

 

Qrow lets out an exaggerated sigh, then rolls his head towards Tai.

“Fine,” is all he says.

Tai smiles.

“Great!” He walks past Qrow and towards the exit. “You can stay here until I get back. And… don’t drink too much, huh?”

 

The moment Tai looks back, Qrow, who’s already in the middle of another drink, raises a brow. Tai shakes his head in pure disappointment.

“Anyway, I’ll be back in couple days. Try not to destroy my house.”

“I promise, but this l little thing,” Qrow mutters as he once again trips the kid, making them once again splat on the ground. “Might not agree.”

“Then make him agree. You’re a fun uncle, remember?” Tai jokes as he leaves the house.

 

Qrow rolls his eyes then picks the child up, this time by their foot.

“So, got a name, kid?”

The child, though looking extremely disappointed and annoyed, responds to Qrow.

“(Y/N),” they reply.

Qrow bounces them a bit, watching as they struggle. They attempt to grab Qrow’s hands, but he doesn’t let them. Eventually they give up and give Qrow a dirty look.

“So, (Y/N), what’s a pipsqueak like you wandering around Patch? It’s not the friendliest environment,” he speaks.

 

(Y/N) crosses their arms and looks away, huffing. Qrow shrugs, not moved by the child’s stubbornness.

“I’ve dealt with kids before, you know. You’re not going to get the best of me.”

The child adopts a devious smirk.

“Okay. Can you put me down, please?” They politely ask.

Qrow, not believing their intentions to be pleasant for a moment, decides to see where this leads. He throws them back on the bed. As they land a small “oof” escapes their lips.

 

“So how about you just sit around until Tai gets back, huh? I don’t want to run around like you made Tai do,” he huffs, grabbing his flask.

(Y/N) bounces off the table and bursts forward, moving faster than Qrow imagined. You pass over his feet and run into a different room. Qrow turns around with far more intrigue.

“A speed semblance, huh? That… wasn’t fun with Ruby.”

 

Qrow lazily follows you into the room and sees you instantly. You’re sitting on a bed, looking through a small book. Qrow squints, trying to read the words that are fuzzy from all his drinking. He finally makes out the word “Yang.” 

 

“Who’s Yang? And what’s s… se… sex..cy?”

Qrow becomes extremely worried about your well-being, and grab the journal from your hands.

“Hey, respect private property kid. I doubt anything in here is appropriate,” Qrow lectures as he begins reading it himself.

“Hm… Hopefully Tai doesn’t learn of this new boy,” Qrow mumbles.

“So what’s sexcy?” (Y/N) asks, not getting the word quite right.

Qrow looks over at (Y/N), seeing the innocent curiosity in their eyes.

“Sheesh, all the questions,” Qrow complains, rubbing the back of his head. “It means… hm… Have you ever seen something that looked nice?”

 

(Y/N) nods their head, thinking back to a toy they once saw in Vale. It was an action figure of a customizable Huntsman. It came with multiple clothing options, weapons, and armour. Everything made their eyes sparkle, and their heart race. They’ve heard so much about Huntsmen from their parents: how strong, fast, and noble they were. But instead of seeing any Huntsmen, they’re stuck with this man who smells bad.

 

“Well, that’s what sexy means. Something that looks REALLY nice,” Qrow simply explains, his mind wandering to a certain lady he encountered a week back. He chuckles a bit at the memory, which confuses the young child in front of him. (Y/N) rolls their eyes, and quickly bursts off the bed and slips by Qrow using their speed.

 

“Kid!” Qrow shouts, annoyance lined in his voice.

They stop at the door and pokes their head to the side, staring at Qrow.

“You’re not as fun as the other one,” they pout. “Where’d they go? I wanna play some more!”

“You’re stuck with me, not that I’m thrilled about that,” he huffs. “But you’re not going anywhere, kid. I’ve dealt with a speedster before.”

 

“You’re just an old man. No way you can keep up with me!” (Y/N) confidently says, crossing their arms and closing their eyes.

“Hey! I’m not old,” Qrow firmly argues. “I can outdo any youngster, including you, so shut it.”

(Y/N) raises their brow, almost as if Qrow’s words are a challenge, and a smile grows on their face. Qrow notices this and realizes what they’re thinking.

 

“Don’t you da-“

 

In a flash (Y/N) sprints out the door and into the woods. Qrow sighs.

“You owe me big for this one, Tai,” he huffs, grabbing his flask and taking a drink.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

(Y/N) slows down, sliding across the ground as they stop. They look back to where they were running with no old man in sight, and the smell has definitely gone away. They smile in victory, placing their fists on their hips.

 

“Ha! He couldn’t catch me. Nobody catches me!” They prominently declare, their voice filled with naivety and confidence. “So where did the fun one go? Oh,” they squeal, their face filling with worry. “I forgot mommy! I have to get…”

 

(Y/N) suddenly hears a crow cawing as it flies over them. They scratch their head, then hear a second noise. Growling erupts from the bushes as said bushes rustle. (Y/N) looks over at it, their curiosity getting the better of them.

 

“Hello? Are you a puppy?” They ask, excited for the possibility of a dog.

 

They skip over to the bushes and separate them, searching for a dog. Instead their eyes land on black fur layered with white bones. They slowly look up to meet glowing red eyes and sharp teeth. They instantly scream, jumping back and falling on their butt. The Ursa jumps out of the bushes, its eyes focused on the small child in front of them. (Y/N), in a total panic, crawls backwards at an extremely slow pace, cowering from the terrifying Grimm. (Y/N) gets to their feet and attempts to run, but the Ursa smacks their stomach, knocking them back to tumble over themselves.

 

Luckily the small amount of aura (Y/N) has protected them from damage, but their small body can’t take more, and the wind is already knocked out of them. The Ursa roars and tramples their way towards (Y/N). They hold their chest and slowly look at their impending doom, whimpering at the terrifying sight. They close their eyes and cover their face, lazily trying to defend themselves.

 

A shot fires, and the Ursa lets out a bloodcurdling scream. It topples on its side and disintegrates. (Y/N) slowly moves their hand away from their face and looks around to find whoever saved them. They notice a different man from who they’ve come to recognize. They have rugged black armour that covers their entire body, but it has some holes and dents in a few places. They’re holding some sort of gun in their hands as they approach (Y/N). Relief washes over the child, knowing their safe. Their heart is still beating a million miles a minute, but they’re still alive.

 

The man stares at the young child, a dastardly grin on their face. They attach their gun to their back, then pull out a slip of paper from their pocket. They stare at the image, then look to the child whose running up to them.

 

“Thank you very much!” They declare, energetic from adrenaline.

“Is your name (Y/N), by chance?” He asks.

(Y/N) nods their head rapidly.

“That’s me!”

“Hm… so you’re the missing one, huh?”

 

The child cocks their head to the side, confused on what the mystery man’s words mean.

“Missing? Did my mommy say I’m missing? I couldn’t find them and have been gone a while!” They inform, becoming passionate. “Do you know where mommy and daddy are?”

The man’s smirk grows wider. He slowly reaches around to his back – to his gun.

“Yeah… I know where they are. Let me take you right to them…”

 

Before the man can complete his actions a mysterious figure swoops down, grabbing the child and distancing themselves from the man. (Y/N) follows the entire action, able to see perfectly due to his semblance.

 

“O-Old guy?” They question, looking up at the gruff Huntsman.

“Qrow…” The man growls, drawing his weapon.

Qrow puts (Y/N) down, pushing them behind their leg, then using the same hand to grab the handle of his weapon.

“Some Huntsman you are, picking on a defenseless kid,” Qrow shames, tightening the grip on his weapon. “You should scram, if you know what’s good for ya.”

The man shakes his head as he points his gun towards Qrow.

“No way. This is my contract, and I don’t get paid until everyone is dead, which includes that kid.”

 

Qrow slicks his hair back with his free hand.

“You’re not touching this kid.”

The man fires at Qrow, which he responds by grabbing (Y/N)’s arm and jumping to the side.

“Close your eyes. What happens next isn’t for kids,” Qrow advises before jumping towards the Huntsman, drawing his weapon.

 

(Y/N) closes their eyes and looks away. They hear some shots firing, some sort of machinery going, and then a quick scream. They keep their eyes closed until they hear footsteps walking towards them. They slowly open their eyes and look up. Qrow has one hand in the pocket and the other messing his hair back up.

 

“W-What happened?” (Y/N) whimpers.

Qrow hesitates for a moment, then stares at the child with comforting eyes.

“He… won’t be bothering you anymore. But, kid, I think you owe me an answer. Why were you on your own when Tai found you?”

(Y/N) plays with their fingers nervously, diverting their eyes from Qrow.

“I… I got bored. I started running as fast as I could, but I’ve never been anywhere without mommy or daddy. I got lost… then the funny man found me, and gave me to you.”

 

Qrow scratches his beard, feeling the sharp hairs scrapping against his skin.

“If that so called Huntsman was correct, then…” Qrow whispers to himself.

He looks down at (Y/N), knowing that their parents are most likely dead.

“So how did an old man beat a Huntsman?” (Y/N) curiously asks, tipping their head to the side.

“I’m not old!” Qrow retorts. “And for your information, I’m a Huntsman too.”

 

(Y/N)’s eyes sparkle with joy.

“Really? Like, a real one that fights the monsters?” They ecstatically ask, their arms coming close to them as they bounce towards Qrow.

Qrow surveys the area for any other dirty Huntsmen, not wanting to let his guard down. As far as he knows, he’s babysitting someone with a target painted on them. Even though he’s not connected to the child in anyway, there’s no way he’s going to leave him alone to possibly be killed.

 

“Listen, kid, I need you to show me where your home is,” Qrow seriously asks.

“I… I don’t remember. I got lost,” (Y/N) responds with sadness. “I hope I don’t get in trouble with mommy and daddy.”

“I… wouldn’t worry about that,” Qrow attempts to comfort, his words layered with a deeper meaning. “Look, how about we look around for your parents, just to make sure stick with me, alright kid?”

 

(Y/N) slowly nods.

“Are you helping me find my mommy and daddy?”

Qrow looks away and throws his hands in his pockets.

“We’re gonna find something,” Qrow whispers.

 

With the kid beside him, Qrow begins to trudge his way through Patch. He knows nearly every settlement on the island, so it’s just process of elimination. He’ll take (Y/N) to every settlement he knows of, hoping that one of those is theirs. If luck’s on his side, the kid will remember some landmarks or something. As the thought goes through Qrow’s head, a question pushes its way to the surface.

 

“Hey kid, do you live in a village?” Qrow brings up.

(Y/N) looks up at Qrow and shakes their head.

“No, it’s just me, mommy, and daddy!”

Qrow returns his gaze forward, thinking. He needs more information to go on then. It’ll be too tedious to visit every single building in Patch. Thus, being the expert Huntsman he is, Qrow figures out a way to narrow the search.

 

“So, what did your folks do with you?” Qrow asks in a friendly manner.

(Y/N) raises their hand to their chin, thinking in an over exaggerated manner.

“Hm… well, sometimes mommy would take me berry picking. I would get to hold the basket as mommy picked out the best berries. She always knew how to get the tastiest ones! Dad likes fishing a lot too! Sometimes we’d go down to the beach and play! I loved swimming, but daddy always said I couldn’t go too far.”

 

And that did exactly what Qrow wanted it to do. Now he can narrow down what section of the island they might live at. There are poisonous berries on Patch, but there’s one place in particular that has an abundance of edible berries. On top of that, there’s a makeshift beach in that area as well. That sounds a lot like how (Y/N) described.

 

Qrow smirks, somewhat relieved that he won’t have to aimlessly walk around the island. He changes his course slightly, walking more to the right to reach his intended destination. (Y/N) follows along, looking up at Qrow the entire time. Qrow is fully aware of this, but it doesn’t bother him in the slightest.

 

“So do you know where my mommy and daddy are?” They ask with hope.

“I think I know where you live. Just let me know if you see recognize anything, huh?”

(Y/N) nods.

“I will! So do you live here too?”

“Patch? Hm…” Qrow thinks on this for a moment. “Not really. You could say I live on the road.”

“Wouldn’t that be uncomfortable?” They respond.

Qrow chuckles.

“Not like that, kid. I mean I travel a lot. A Huntsman’s life isn’t a stable one.”

“A stable? You mean steady or the places horses go?”

Once again, Qrow’s entertained by their young view of the world.

“Stability-wise. I’m guessing you don’t know much about Huntsman, huh?”

 

(Y/N) shakes their head.

“Not really. Daddy said they’re noble fighters that stop those Grimm! That Huntsman stopped a Grimm, even if you sent him away. Will he be fighting more Grimm?”

Qrow moans with annoyance.

“No. Not anymore. Listen, kid, can you pay attention to where we are? I think we’re getting close to the area.”

 

(Y/N) looks around to see nothing but trees and bushes. They seem perplexed, unsure of what to look for and how to find their home. They scratch their head and shrug.

“I don’t know where we are. Sorry,” they disappointedly say.

“It’s fine. We’ll find your home eventually. Just stay with me.”

 

(Y/N) nods and moves closer to Qrow. He suddenly feels the sensation of skin. He looks down at his arm and sees (Y/N)’s small hand wrapped around it, and their small eyes nervously looking up at Qrow.

 

“What’re you doing?” Qrow questions.

“Staying with you like you said,” they answer.

Qrow shrugs and accepts the circumstances. It’s not hindering his movement at all, and if anything he at least knows where you are at all times. If you let go of his arm then he’ll look over. It works well enough for the circumstances given to him.

 

(Y/N) remains silent as they walk, keeping their eyes out for anything familiar. Everything just looks like forest to them. They never seriously paid attention to any of it. Usually their mother or father led them to their destination with no need to worry. Now it’s up to them, and they have no idea what to do. Trees. Bushes. Grass. It’s all the same with little variation. (Y/N) looks back up at their companion, Qrow. The rugged Huntsman who barely seems to be awake, walking at a terribly slow pace.

 

Qrow, on the other hand, is enjoying the steady walking speed. One reason being he needs time to think of how to explain what’s happened to the kid. He has no doubts that their parents are dead, which isn’t something children want to hear. Then again, his nieces have had experience with that too, but they’ve had Tai and himself. From what Qrow knows, this kid has nobody to fall back on. Qrow huffs, releasing some inner tension. He didn’t think this babysitting job would go anything like this. He wasn’t really hoping for anything in particular, but this is much better than dealing with a whiney kid.

 

Qrow feels a tug on his arm, and instinctively looks down at the kid. They’re pointing at something, which Qrow quickly looks at.

“That’s where mommy used to get berries! See, she liked to mark the tree with a heart!” (Y/N) points out, which Qrow quickly sees on the tree.

“That’s progress, at least. Do you remember how to get home from here?” Qrow inquires.

The child scratches their head with their free hand as they moan in thought.

 

“I… I remember mommy used to lead me to these bushes from over there,” (Y/N) points slightly behind their current position, and to the right of Qrow.

Qrow follows their finger to the location. Qrow turns them both around to follow the new lead.

“Alright kid, you’re going to have to lead me there,” Qrow informs.

“I shall Mr. Old Man!” (Y/N) excitedly says as they imagine seeing their parents again.

“I’m not old!” Qrow argues.

 

(Y/N) laughs at Qrow’s words. Qrow rolls his eyes and keeps himself focused on the task at hand. He leads the child through the forest, keeping his eyes out for any sort of dangers. He’s heard a Beowolf or two stalking about, but nothing has attacked so far. Even if they did there would be no threat at all. A few Beowolves are nothing compared to Qrow’s skill. Besides, with their speed it’s doubtful they’d be caught by any Grimm. In that regard, among others, they remind him of Ruby when she was younger. They even have some sort of fascination with Huntsmen, just like Ruby used to – and still does – have.

 

“Hey! I remember!” (Y/N) blurts out, catching Qrow off guard. “’Under the swooping trees into the land of ease,’” they recite, smiling. “Mommy used to say that.”

(Y/N) runs towards the leaning trees, dragging Qrow along with them. They let go of Qrow and sprint forward with eagerness seeping out of every step they take. Seeing they aren’t using their semblance to move, Qrow ensures he runs at an equal pace. He doesn’t want the kid to see what he predicts will be there.

 

After a moment, and pushing through a thorn bush, Qrow and (Y/N) reach a structure. Qrow quickly scans the area. There’s no immediate damage, which means the ones who attacked had no intention of burning the place down. However there’s a certain heaviness to the air that (Y/N) doesn’t sense. Qrow can tell dark deeds have been committed here, and recently. He glances down at the kid, worried about what will happen if they-

 

“Mommy! Daddy! I’m home!” They shout, breaking away from Qrow and running towards the house.

“Wait! Kid!” Qrow calls out as he chases after them.

(Y/N) rushes through the already opened door and into the main room. They come to a dead step, almost making them trip over themselves. Qrow stops behind them and sees what they do: two people, a man and a woman, dead, lying on the floor together. Qrow can tell by the wounds that they weren’t killed by any Grimm. This is definitely a human’s work.

 

He then hears small whimpers, along with sharp breaths. He looks down at the child and sees tears running down their cheek. They shake their head violently, screaming.

“No! No! Mommy! Daddy! NO!”

They finally activate their semblance and burst out the door, zooming into the forest.

“Kid! Damnit, I can’t let them be on their own!”

 

Qrow takes out his scroll and quickly sends a message out. Once the short message is complete, he puts his scroll away and starts his pursuit after them.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

(Y/N) comes to a halt right beside a tree. They lean on the tree, looking down as they sob, looking down as the tears roll down their cheeks and splatter on the ground. It’s unmistakable, even to a child as young as them. Their parents are dead, at least that’s what they think. No, they are. The red liquid – blood. The blank eyes – lifeless. Not once could they ever think something like this could happen. What did they do to deserve this?

 

They smack the tree, hurting their hand since their aura is still mostly depleted. They pull their hand back and hold it with the other, but they don’t say anything about it. It’s nothing compared to what they’re feeling on the inside. Their stomach hurts, almost like they’re going to throw-up. Their mind is aching from trying to accept this reality. Their hands are clammy. Their body is sweating.

 

Being so distracted by the thought of their parents being gone, and the sound of their crying, they fail to notice someone approaching them from behind. The man behind them looks down at a photo.

 

“Hm... to think that kid could kill my partner. Whatever, more for me in the end.”

 

They crush the picture and toss it away as they approach (Y/N). They wrap their hands around the back of their neck, lift them in the air, then slam them face first into the ground. With the low aura levels, (Y/N) in knocked out instantly. The Huntsman standing over them notices they’re still breathing. They reach around to their back and wrap their hand around their weapon - a mace. They line it up beside the child’s head to make sure they have the perfect hit.

 

Right as they pull back an unknown force pulls them away from the child. The Huntsman doesn’t fall over and regains his footing after a few steps. He angrily stares at the presence in front of him.

 

“Gg… Qrow,” he mutters. “So you killed my partner.”

“And you both killed a defenseless family. Don’t attempt put me in the wrong,” Qrow retorts, his blade already in his hand. “Now take my warning: leave now, and try to not be a disgrace to all Huntsmen.”

The Huntsman growls.

“We do what we can to survive! If thousands of lien means killing a small family, then so be it.”

 

Qrow shakes his head.

“You don’t deserve the title of Huntsman,” Qrow declares as he flicks his hand, initiating the change of his weapon. His sword quickly transforms into his signature scythe as Qrow stands between the child and the Huntsman. “I killed your friend, and I’ll kill you too.”

The Huntsman rushes Qrow, swinging his mace around him to gain momentum. Qrow spins his scythe behind him, then dashes forward like a bullet. He passes right by the Huntsman, cutting his stomach with absolute precision. The Huntsman takes two more steps before falling onto his stomach, his life quickly leaving him.

 

Qrow retracts his scythe almost instantly and rests it at his lower back. He casually walks past the Huntsman, not taking the time to even look at him. He kneels down to (Y/N) and rolls them over. They’re unconscious, that much is clear. It’s better than dead. Qrow slips his hands under their upper back and behind their knees, then stands up with them. He adjusts appropriately, then slowly begins to walk away.

 

After leaving the disgrace behind, Qrow looks down at the child. He can see the trail of tears that have rolled down their face. Qrow shakes his head. For some reason he didn’t want to see them like this. He hasn’t known them for long, but somehow kids have always been a weak spot for him, likely due to his nieces. Qrow brings them closer as a sort of relief for them, even if they don’t realize it.

 

“It’s alright kid… I’ll figure it out for you.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

(Y/N) slowly opens their eyes as the sun’s light cuts through the window. They rub their eyes and lift their upper body off the bed. They look around and finally realize they’re somewhere else, but somewhere they recognize. This is the room where they first met Qrow, and where Tai chased them around. But the main thing on their mind is how they got here. The last thing they remember is leaning against a tree, then someone grabbed them and… that’s it.

 

Then the most gut-wrenching memory surfaces: their parents are dead. But they can’t cry anymore. They’ve done that too much. Instead they hop out of bed and start walking. The moment they get to the door they realize someone else is in the room. They slowly turn their head and see Qrow, sitting in a chair, sleeping. They change their course from the door to Qrow, and approach him instead.

 

“He watched me? Huh… sleeping like an old man,” they chuckle to themselves. “And he brought me back here…”

They smile, placing their hand on Qrow’s.

“Thank you, old man.”

 

Their eyes drift to Qrow’s weapon, which is lying on the floor beside him. Something starts flowing through their mind. Qrow used that to defend them, to keep them safe. Qrow, a Huntsman, made sure that they were okay. It’s exactly how they imagined Huntsmen being: honourable. (Y/N) leans over and grabs Qrow’s weapon then attempts to stand straight. However, the weapon is far too heavy for them to move, so they remain still. (Y/N) pouts, then grasps the weapon with both hands to use all their might to move the weapon. After a second of pulling, they manage to move the weapon a bit, sliding it across the carpet.

 

They fall back on their butt, letting out a small yelp. They look at the weapon, squinting. They’re not going to give up.

 

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Qrow’s eyes flutter open. He was sitting in that chair all night, watching the kid as they slept to make sure they’re okay. But now, as Qrow just realizes, they’re gone. Qrow stands up and looks around the room for the kid. As he does this, and his eyes graze over the window, he sees someone outside. Qrow walks to the window and stares out of it. He sees (Y/N), swinging his weapon around with absolutely no form whatsoever. Qrow’s slightly annoyed that they took his weapon, but he smiles in the end. He can tell, just by their body language, that they’re releasing all their sorrow and rage with each swing.

 

Qrow thinks on this. It’s obvious that their aura has already been unlocked, and he’s dealt with a semblance like theirs before. Perhaps…

 

Qrow places his hands on his hips and saunters out of the room, passing through the hallway to the kitchen, then out of the building entirely. He closes the door behind him and rests against it, crossing his arms and watching the child swing the blade around wildly.

 

“You need to work on footwork,” he advices.

(Y/N) turns to Qrow, scared by the sudden presence of someone else. Once they realize it’s Qrow they calm down.

“Old man!”

“I’m. Not. Old,” Qrow reiterates.

They chuckle at Qrow’s words, then run over to him.

“So what’re you doing with my sword, kid?” Qrow asks.

 

(Y/N) folds in on themselves a bit.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to use it and-“

“Are you training?” Qrow rephrases the question.

The child looks up at Qrow, then nods.

“I want to do what you do. I want to help people, like you helped me.”

Qrow stares (Y/N) down with intimidating eyes, making the child feel bad. But, after less than ten seconds, Qrow smiles. He rustles (Y/N)’s hair, making the child inaudibly complain.

 

“Alright. I’ll help you. BUT, you must do everything I say with no complaining.” The child nods their head, agreeing to the conditions. “And one last thing…” Qrow leans down close to (Y/N). “Don’t call me an ‘old man.’”

 

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Tai casually strolls towards his house, a small satchel slung over his shoulder filled with supplies he didn’t use. Thankfully the mission went smoothly, and he was able to return within a day. He came back as quickly as possible so he could relieve Qrow from his forced duty. It was unfair of Tai to make Qrow babysit, but he had no other options. He just hopes that everything went smoothly.

 

Tai exits the forested area and reaches the clearing, only to be shocked by what he sees. The child and Qrow are standing side by side, with the kid holding Qrow’s weapon. Qrow is simulating attacks, and (Y/N) is copying him with near perfection. The stance, movements, everything is like Qrow. Tai approaches the two, which gains both of their attentions.

 

“Tai, hey… um, listen, kid,” Qrow says, turning to (Y/N). “Keep practicing the moves. Grown ups gotta talk.”

(Y/N) nods and goes back to slowly attacking the air. Qrow smiles and takes a few steps away with Tai.

“Qrow… what happened? Why does he have your weapon?” Tai asks, though a thousand questions are running through his mind.

Qrow smiles, looking at the child.

“Well, Tai. I think you just gave me someone else to take under my wing.”

 

**This was a fun little one shot requested by… well, we’ll say she’s a dorky fangirl. It was fun to write a small story AND one that appeals to both genders, as opposed to my usual male perspective stories. Though it was slightly more annoying since I kept writing “you” or something along those lines. Either way, I hope you all enjoyed this little story.**

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